Venice Beach, Florida is most famous for its fossilized shark teeth that can be found in the sand by anyone with a little patience and a sharp eye. There's even an annual Shark Tooth Festival held here each year where you can learn all about shark teeth and other fossils that can be found here on Venice Beach, about 15 minutes south of Sarasota. It's a real hands-on learning experience.

How to Enjoy Venice Beach and South Jetty Park

But don't think shark teeth are the only thing that brings people to Venice Beach. Public beach access is a top priority in Venice and you have an uncommon variety of beaches to choose from. Just like the rest of Sarasota's beaches, Venice beaches offer calm, clear shallow water that's great for swimming, and the beaches are great for shelling and beachcombing.

The two closest beaches to downtown Venice are Venice Public Beach (Venice Municipal Beach) and Humphris Park, also known as "south jetty park." How to Get to Venice Beach

From Interstate 75, take the Jacaranda exit (#193) and follow Jacaranda Boulevard to Venice Avenue. Follow Venice avenue west. You'll go through charming downtown Venice and end up right at the public beach access.

This is the closest beach to downtown Venice. It is a full-service beach with free parking, covered picnic tables, a snack bar, restrooms, lifeguards, and volleyball nets. You can even participate in yoga classes on the beach every morning! The sand color ranges from light gray to nearly black in spots because of all the minerals and fossilized materials in the sand.

Venice is well known as a retirement town, so you won't be surprised to see a lot of retirees on the beach. But more and more families and young people are moving to the area, so this is ever-so-gradually changing. You'll notice that many of the street names are Italian-sounding, and you may notice Italian and other European languages being spoken on the beach. Venice, Florida is considered the "sister city" of Venice, Italy.

Also known as south jetty park, this popular spot is situated right on Venice Inlet. To get to this park, drive north from Venice Public Beach on The Esplanade, then take Tarpon Center Drive past the marina to the park. A long rock jetty extends far out into the Gulf of Mexico and attracts fishers from far and wide. A small cafe sits overlooking the waters of the inlet and is a social gathering place for visitors and locals. The south side of the jetty also happens to be one of the top surfing spots on Florida's Gulf coast. The sandy beach is on the south side of the park. It's not the best beach access in Venice, but if you want to be near the inlet, this is the access for you. The beach itself is rock-free and is great for swimming and sunbathing.

The closest restaurants are along and near Venice Avenue, just a short drive from the beach. Of course you'll expect Italian cuisine which you'll find at Cassario Italian Eatery, or perhaps you'll want to try Cafe Venice, voted "Venice's Best Cafe." For more casual fare, try The Soda Fountain of Venice. If you're at Humphris Park and prefer something other than snack bar food, try the Crow's Nest Restaurant, Marina and Tavern which overlooks Venice Inlet.

While there are some excellent small hotels in Venice Florida, they are not on the beach. If you want to stay on the beach in Venice, Florida, you'll be best served by arranging a beachfront condominium rental or a house near the beach.

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